T20 - Computational Thinking for Everyone: How the library brought the Carpentries to the University of Toronto.
Session Description
This session describes a pilot project that facilitates inclusive and equitable opportunities to learn core computational literacy and data science skills at the University of Toronto. The project team’s approach to promote such skill development actively reaches a diverse range of students, faculty, and staff in the university community regardless of field of study or work.
The heart of this pilot is driven by becoming a Member Organization of The Carpentries, a global community whose mission is to teach foundational computational and data science skills to researchers in academia, industry, and government through a transformative pedagogy and cooperatively developed curriculum. The project is two-fold: 1) it provides access to technical skills workshops, and 2) it trains instructors with the hope that the method of learning ripples onwards beyond the project.
The session outlines how the project team has capitalized on membership benefits to cultivate a learning culture that relies on cross-functional collaboration at a large research university. Such collaboration empowers novice learners to acquire computational and data science skills in a mindfully scaffolded way, continue in self-directed learning, and give confidence to other novice learners in their networks.
This session will be relevant to those interested in the democratization of technology as well as innovations in teaching, learning, and infrastructure supporting research.
Speakers
May Chan, University of Toronto Libraries
Biography
May is currently Head, Metadata Services for University of Toronto Libraries. She was previously Cataloguing Manager for Burnaby Public Library and began her career at Vancouver Public Library. Her 17 years of experience in public libraries have instilled a strong value for service excellence and collaboration. In 2013, May was part of establishing the Code4Lib BC regional chapter, representing the interests of public libraries and technical services. She is passionate about seeing people empowered to navigate the future through acquiring computational literacy and an appreciation for structured metadata.
Jordan Pedersen, University of Toronto Libraries
Biography
Jordan is a recent graduate turned metadata librarian at the University of Toronto Libraries, as well as a joyful volunteer. While at work, she delights in working with technical tools, solving problems programmatically wherever possible, and harnessing technology to be creative. While not at work, she loves volunteering with many organizations, including The Carpentries,an accessible tech teaching organization.